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Election 2006 - Final

Well, I know I fell down there on finishing up the election coverage. When I planned this, I forgot to take into account 2 things:

How much work there is in not only reading about all the propositions and candidates and such, but then communicating it coherently to others, and

How 2 weeks before the election, I inevitably get thoroughly sickened by all the negative ads, backbiting, muckraking, mud throwing, hair pulling, insults, raving, face scratching egoist celebration that is our election process. I really just want to put my head in a hole until November 8th.

In addition, though I had all last week off due to an aborted vacation, I didn't feel like blogging. However, my husband and I sat down, consulted each other, the intertubes, and our voting pamphlets, filled out and mailed off our ballots. So we've voted. For better or for worse.

Some of the propositions on this ballot are really a mess, and I'm still not entirely sure I made the right decision. Proposition 203 (pdf), for example, which adds an 8o cent tax on cigarettes to fund early childhood education. While I'm all for funding early childhood education, I'm not sure an additional tax on smokes is the best way to go about it. Wouldn't it be better to have a tax that affects more people? Why must smokers pay for all our children's early education? Plus, if Prop 201 passes, mightn't more people quit smoking, thus depleting our potential tax base? It's really too confusing for my poor brain to grasp. I voted yes, but I'm still not sure it was the best thing to do.

In any case, this is the end of my election coverage. If I do this again, I'll try to start and end earlier, before I can't stand to think of it any more.

I really admire the passion and thought you have invested in how to use your vote. You are an example to us all! :)

I voted yes on 203 too, but you're right, why should smokers (who all will die soon anyway!) pay for our kids' education? Why can't the govenrment just make it THE number 1 prioriity, fund it properly, and dispense with all this nonsense?

And those ads on TV are gross. I'm so turned off by everyone running, except the libertarians, who don't have enough money for ads.

I know how you feel about the sickness regarding the election ads. The one that I want to smack is the one against smoke-free and using the tax-payers money. Well, that and the one about the ACLU. Shameless, much?